The present invention generally relates to a novel mounting bracket for mounting play devices of a playground set to a superstructure of the set. More specifically, the invention relates to a novel swing set hang tube protective mounting bracket which mounts hang tubes to a superstructure of a swing set while also guarding a journaled connection between the hang tubes and the mounting bracket by providing protective clearances.
The general construction of a playground or swing set is well known to those having ordinary skill in the art. A swing set usually includes a plurality of play devices, such as swings, rings, ropes, glide rides, lawn swings, and the like. For the sake of clarity, the general characteristics of these devices will be discussed herein with reference to a glide ride only. However, it is to be noted that this discussion applies equally to other play devices, such as swings and the like.
One example of a play ground set of the prior art is disclosed in U.S. Pat No. 3,145,013 to Grudoski. A play ground set is shown having a glide ride. Hang bars supporting the glide ride are pivotally attached or journaled to a cross bar of a supporting superstructure by a mounting bracket. The superstructure elevates the glide ride to provide sufficient clearance between the bottom of the glide ride and the ground so that the glide ride can be freely operated. It is to be noted that the pivotal or journaled connection between the hang bars and the mounting bracket is exposed, thereby possibly allowing a child to place his fingers close to the connections. Also, there may be insufficient horizontal and/or vertical distance or clearance between the journaled connection of the hang bars and the sides or bottom edges of the mounting bracket. This insufficient clearance can also allow a child to place his fingers close to the connections, and, because the clearances are not sufficiently large, the child's fingers may be pinched or injured by the swing set. Because children, who are often the primary users of such swing sets, do not recognize the possibility of such injury, it is desirable to incorporate safety features into the constructions of the glide ride, and the swing sets in general, to reduce the probability of injury to these children. Thus, safety of the children becomes a concern of swing set manufacturers.
One point of concern for child safety is the journaled connection between the glide ride and the supporting superstructure. There may be other points of concern as well. Because of manufacturing tolerances and clearances necessary to enable the glide ride to function in an intended manner, them may be spaces or gaps between the parts of the glide ride, such as the hang bars which extend from the superstructure, and the superstructure itself. These gaps may have a size sufficient to pinch the fingers of a small child, as noted above. To reduce the chances that a child might have his fingers pinched in the gaps on a swing set, protective brackets or covers may be provided which cover the journaled connections between the glide ride and the superstructure, and therefore, the gaps. The protective covers may make it difficult for a child to put his fingers near the gaps.
One example of a swing set having a protective cover of the prior art is disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,961,558 to Cunard. This swing set includes a glide ride mounted to a supporting superstructure by a number of hang arms. The hang arms are journally mounted onto an arcuate mounting bracket, which, in turn, hangs on a cross bar of the superstructure by means of a V-shaped bolt. The protective cover itself comprises two plate-shaped members attachable to the arcuate mounting bracket by suitable fasteners. Because the arcuate mounting bracket itself does not cover the pinching gaps sufficiently to protect a child's fingers, the protective cover must cover relevant portions of the arcuate mounting bracket and the adjacent sections of the hang arms.
While this protective cover may operate satisfactorily, it does present a number of drawbacks which may make it and the associated play ground sets undesirable to some people. Namely, it is to be noted that the protective cover is separate from and attached to the mounting bracket. Thus, in order to assemble this swing set, the mounting bracket must be attached to the cross bar of the superstructure first. Specifically, according to one method of assembly, the arcuate mounting bracket is placed on top of the cross bar, and the V-shaped bolt is positioned underneath the cross bar adjacent the mounting bracket such that opposite ends of the V-shaped bolt extend through corresponding holes in the mounting bracket. Nuts are applied to the opposite ends of the V-shaped bolt, and are tightened or torqued such that the mounting bracket is fixed to the superstructure. Then, the hang arms are pivotally connected to the arcuate mounting bracket by suitable means, such as pins or bolts. The glide ride can then be attached to the ends of the hang arms opposite to the ends thereof pivotally connected to the mounting bracket. The two plate-shaped members of the protective cover are then connected to the arcuate mounting bracket by bolts or straps.
As can be appreciated, this prior art protective cover can present a person with difficulty in assembling the swing set. Because the protective cover is separate from the mounting bracket, the swing set comprises additional pans which must be put together. More fasteners must be tightened in order to attach the protective cover to the mounting bracket. Over time, one or more of these fasteners may fail, and because the protective cover is separate from the mounting bracket, the protective cover can become separated from the mounting bracket, thereby eliminating the added safety provided by the protective cover. The increased number of fasteners can also complicate the assembly process, and can increase the time needed to construct the swing set. The increased assembly time may be particularly undesirable to a parent whose children are anxiously waiting to play on the completed swing set. Thus, it is desirable to provide an improved swing set construction which is not subject to these drawbacks, among others, presented by the swing sets of the prior art. The present invention is intended to provide such an improvement.
The present invention provides a novel construction for a swing set which overcomes some, if not all of the above-discussed drawbacks. Specifically, the invention provides a novel protective mounting bracket for a swing set hang tube. The protective bracket of the invention requires fewer parts than some of the protective covers of the prior art in that the novel protective mounting bracket integrates a mounting bracket with a protective cover. Because the mounting bracket and the protective cover are integrated, the protective cover cannot become separated from the mounting bracket. Utilization of this novel protective bracket may also decrease the time needed to assemble the swing set.